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Ketogenic diet clinical trial results

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2026-09-02 00:04 UTC → 2026-09-03 21:41 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine conducted a randomized clinical trial, published in Cell Metabolism, to compare the effects of a ketogenic diet against Mediterranean and high-carbohydrate plant-forward diets. The study focused on 55 adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. While all groups lost approximately 10% of their body weight and saw a roughly 50% increase in skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, the ketogenic diet demonstrated superior results in specific metabolic and liver health metrics. Participants on the ketogenic diet saw a 67% reduction in liver fat, compared to a 45% reduction in the other groups. Furthermore, the ketogenic diet was more effective at reversing prediabetes, with 50% of participants no longer meeting medical criteria, compared to 29% in the Mediterranean group and 7% in the high-carbohydrate group. The diet also contributed to a 20% reduction in 24-hour blood glucose and a 74% decrease in blood insulin levels. Additional findings from the study indicate that liver insulin sensitivity improved two to three times more in the ketogenic group than in the comparison groups. Senior author Dr. Samuel Klein noted that for patients with high liver fat and prediabetes, reducing carbohydrate intake may provide therapeutic effects on glucose and lipid metabolism that extend beyond the benefits of weight loss alone. The findings suggest that dietary macronutrient composition can influence metabolic health independently of total weight loss, potentially helping to prevent the progression of metabolic diseases.

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